Three per cent rise in council tax on the way in Wrexham

WREXHAM residents face a three per cent rise in council tax from April as the council attempts to balance its books.

The rise by Wrexham Council, being proposed as part of a financial overhaul by the authority which has already saved £7.5 million, will push the council tax bill on a typical Band D property from £863 to £889.

Wrexham Council’s executive board will be given details of proposals for the 2011/12 revenue budget next Tuesday, before a vote by the full council on February 28.

Council chiefs have been quick to point out this will be one of the lowest increases in England and Wales.

Total spending plans for the financial year amount to £208 million, which is virtually unchanged from the current year.

Mark Owen, the council’s chief finance and performance officer, said that during consultations with members of the public and trade unions there had not been “any tremendous amount of negative feedback”.

Mr Owen said measures to shield social care for adults and children and also schools’ spending were built into the budget.

He said the proposed council tax increase to pay for the spending plans was three per cent.

This, he pointed out, was the fifth lowest in Wales and the seventh lowest of the 348 local authorities across both Wales and England.

Council leader, Cllr Aled Roberts, said: “This is a tough settlement but we have set
our targets while at the same time protecting schools and social care for children and adults.

“This is a tribute to the 14 months of work that our officers have put into the budget.”

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